New pickleball courts are coming to South County
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country
–The Grover Beach City Council recently approved a pickleball court pilot program, which will bring four pickleball courts to Mentone Basin Park until the summer.
Due to the similarity of the games, the pickleball courts will be co-located alongside the existing tennis courts already at the park.
“We have been hearing from our community that there is a desire for pickleball courts and so this pilot program will allow us to gauge the extent of that demand and popularity of pickleball within Grover Beach, as well as test out the best way to operate a co-located court,” said the Grover Beach Parks and Recreation Program Director Kathey Petker. “The plan is to have designated tennis and pickleball hours at the Mentone Basin Park court that would prioritize play hours for each sport respectively on a daily basis.”
If players of the respective sport do not show up for play during the designated hours, then the court will instead be available to all players on a first-come, first-serve basis which is a widely accepted system for co-located courts. Tennis players will still also have courts available to them at Grover Heights Park and Hero Park.
In coordination with the Park and Recreation Department, volunteers, which may come from nearby pickleball clubs, would also assist with setting up pickleball nets and providing community members with paddles and pickleballs, which will be stored on site.
“What is really exciting about this pilot program is that it allows us to further activate our park spaces and encourage more outdoor activity for individuals with a range of ages and abilities,” said Grover Beach City Manager Matthew Bronson. “While one tennis court can accommodate a maximum of four people playing doubles, the same space can accommodate 16 pickleball players across four courts. Additionally, because of the rotation of play system for ‘winners’ and ‘losers’, people are able to consistently rotate without having to wait long periods before the next opportunity to play.”
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America and Atascadero recently received four new courts in Fall 2022 at Colony Park. The game is open to all ages and mixes elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
For those interested in volunteering, reach out to the Grover Beach Parks and Recreation Department at [email protected]
